New policy reflects aims of CARE Act
The cost of rehoming animals after their use in laboratories can now be paid for with grant money from the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), after a change in policy came into effect on October 1.
We believe that this could significantly increase the number of animals made available for adoption by NIH-funded research facilities. NIH grants previously only covered costs relating to the acquisition, care and use of animals for scientific research, but have now been extended to their rehoming and ‘retirement’.
We have long called for these costs to be covered by NIH grant funding, particularly through our support of the Companion Animal Release from Experiments (CARE) Act.
We also collaborated with members of Congress to secure a requirement for a report on laboratory animal adoptions in the FY 2023 appropriations package. In response, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and NIH released a report that provided valuable insights, while also exposing inconsistencies in their policies. We identified and highlighted several of these contradictions to advance reform efforts.
One of the most significant contradictions we highlighted was the prohibition on using grant funds to support adoptions. The report stated, ‘HHS grant awards may not be used to support recipient efforts to adopt or rehome research animals. Section 7.9 of the NIH Grants Policy Statement, a term and condition of all NIH awards, explains that costs and activities are allowable on NIH awards.”
We noted that if grant funds can be used to cover the costs of meeting minimum welfare standards for animals before and during experiments, those same funds should also support animal welfare after research concludes, including preparing them for release to homes or sanctuaries.
Our Head of Public Affairs for North America, Monica Engebretson, recently highlighted this policy shortcoming in a webinar hosted by the American Bar Association and during her presentation at the 2025 World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences, in Brazil, where she suggested that if federal funds can be used for the care of animals during research, they should also support humane outcomes afterward.
Shortly after that presentation, the NIH made the announcement that its grant policy had been updated.
Monica said, “We are pleased that the NIH has updated its grant policy to allow funds to be used to help place survivors of laboratory experiments into loving homes or reputable sanctuaries. While we continue working toward a future where one wants or believes we need to experiment on animals, it is crucial to take meaningful steps to improve the lives of individual animals who can be saved today.
“We urge the NIH to build on this progress by issuing clear guidance on post-research adoption and implementing the measures outlined in the Companion Animal Release from Experiments (CARE) Act, including requiring funded institutions to maintain transparent adoption policies and to report the number of animals released.”